The AkinyemiLaw Songwriting Contest (ALSC) has returned for its seventh edition, reaffirming its mission to spotlight creativity, collaboration and emerging talent across Africa. Since its launch during the lockdown, the contest has grown from a ₦50,000 prize initiative into a platform awarding $5,000 and providing access to industry opportunities.
Founder of the contest and entertainment lawyer, Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, said the idea was driven by a need “to shine the light on songwriting as an important art form and a vehicle for wealth creation.” He said many African creatives “do not know the value of their creativity,” adding that one of the core goals of ALSC is to show that “songwriting is big business.”
According to him, several Nigerian artists struggle to maintain relevance because they “have not been able to record and perform the right songs that keep them at superstar level.” Ayinoluwa said collaboration is a central requirement of the contest, as all participants must register as tag-teams consisting of a record producer and a singer-songwriter.
“We want upcoming artists, producers, and songwriters to understand that you have to collaborate to win,” he said. The seventh edition of ALSC is receiving entries from Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa. This marks the widest reach of the contest since it began.
Ayinoluwa said organisers plan to expand participation to Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Mali within the next two years. He said ALSC is introducing new initiatives, including writing and recording trips across the four participating countries. According to him, the trips will allow creatives “to commingle and collaborate to make records that speak to African storytelling.” The contest will also introduce new partnerships with companies that support creatives across the continent.
Ayinoluwa confirmed that both online and physical workshops will be held to teach participants about the value of collaboration and songwriting. He said the organisers hope to release a compilation of the top 10 entries next year.
According to him, participation in the contest provides opportunities such as industry recognition and mentorship. Past participants have recorded notable outcomes. Songwriter Zichy, winner of the 2023 edition, has since written songs for Wizkid.
Another former contestant, Ayo Maff, secured a record deal after contesting in the 2023 edition. He was discovered after submitting his entry.
Ayinoluwa said ALSC remains different because “nothing like this exists on the continent” for supporting songwriters and producers as a duo. He said emerging talents often grow faster when they collaborate at the same level, citing examples such as ID Cabasa and 9ice, Don Jazzy and D’banj, and Magicsticks and Asake.
He said the contest aims to build songwriting and creative hubs across African cities to enable regular collaboration trips. “We want people to say, ‘We started in Joburg, stopped in Dar es Salaam, moved to Accra and finished in Lagos,’” he said.
Ayinoluwa noted that the contest has evolved from Nigeria-only participation to a four-country structure supported by local partners. He said the organisers hope the contest will encourage more people to embrace songwriting and collaboration across Africa and “grant life-changing opportunities” to emerging talents.
Interested participants can visit the Talsong contest official website for guidelines, eligible genres and submission requirements.
